Computing mechanism



April 1936- v. H. RAUSCH COMPUTING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Filed Oct. 17, 1954 1 Wan April 14, 1936, v H RAUSCH 2,037,667

COMPUTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 17, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES COMPUTING DIECHANISM Victor H. Rausch, Maplewood, N. 1., assignor to John Wood Manufacturing Company, Inc., Conshohocken, Pa... a corporation of Delaware Application October 1'1, 1934, Serial No. 748,596

8 Claims.

My invention may be used as an accessory to metering pumps for dispensing gasolene. The

current price of gasolene varies in tenths of acent, and such pumps have means, including gearing, connected with the meter, whereby as a consequence of movement of the gearing by dispensation of the liquid through the meter, the value of that dispensed liquid, at the current price, is computed and indicated by suitable registering mechanism, conveniently including rctary dials. My invention is particularly applicable to such metering pumps wherein the value based upon the whole cents of the price and the value based upon any fraction of a cent of the price are separately automatically computed by different mechanisms, and my invention includes means whereby the computation of the two mechanisms is aggregated automatically in the registration of the value of the volume dispensed.

As hereinafter described, my invention includes a ratchet wheel, conveniently having one hundred teeth, each representing a tenth of a cent, arranged to be turned by a pawl carrier which is actuated by gearing connection with the means for computing the value based upon the whole cents of the price; and said ratchet is adapted to be advanced in its rotation, with respect to the pawl carrier by connection with the means for computing the value based upon any fraction of a cent of the price so that the aggregate advance movement of said ratchet for each gallon dispensed is in correspondence with the whole price of the gallon including both the whole cents of the price and any fraction of a cent of the price. Said ratchet wheel has in coaxial relation therewith a gear pinion for actuating a registering mechanism of any suitable form or construction for indicating such aggregate value in dollars, cents, and tenths of a cent.

The essential feature of my invention is that the teeth on the "ratchet are helically inclined with respect to the axis of its rotation so that said ratchet may be advanced by relative axial movement of said ratchet and a pawl which has its end for engaging the ratchet teeth inclined with respect to the axis of the ratchet, in accordance with the inclination of the ratchet teeth; so that such relative movement is efiected by sliding engagement of the pawl and ratchet in the direction of the axial length of said teeth, with the minimum wear upon the ratchet teeth and pawl.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

, pawl which is pivoted in the pawl carrier shown in the preceding figures and functions to impart movement from the pawl carrier to the ratchet wheel, in accordance with the whole cents value of, the liquid dispensed, and also any additional advance movement in accordance with any fractional cent value per unit of volume of the liquid dispensed.

Fig. VI is a detail view of the axially movable keeper pawl, shown in Fig. I, which is also pivoted in the pawl carrienand functions to prevent backward movement of the ratchet wheel with respect to said pawl carrier.

Fig. ,VII shows a modified form of my invention differing from that of the preceding figures in that the keeper pawl is not axially movable in the pawl carrier; including a plane development of the toothed circumference of the ratchet and the respective relative position of the two pawls with respect to teeth of said ratchet wheel.

Fig. VIII is a view similar to Fig. VII but showing a different form of keeper pawl.

Fig. IX is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line IX in Fig. 11 in the direction of the arrow on said line, showing the cam which is selectively engaged to operate the knocker mechanism shown in Fig. II.

In said figures, the tubular shaft I is conveniently provided with the bevel gear 2 for connection with the metering mechanism so that said shaft is turned one revolution for each gallon of liquid passed through the meter, for dispensation. Said shaft i carries the gear 3 engaging the gear 4, of the same size, on the shaft 5 which 5 is j ournaled in the housing including the vertical partition wall I. Said gear 4 and shaft 5 are rigidly connected with a series of gears of different sizes, including gears 8, 9, and III, which represent whole cents of the price of the liquid to be dispensed per gallon, for instance the gear 8 may represent thirty-five cents per gallon; the selected gear 9 thirty cents per gallon; and the gear I0 twenty-seven cents per gallon. Any one of said gears 8 etc. may be manually selectively therewith by the pin IS, the pawl head i6 having the advancing pawl pivoted therein on the pin l3 and inwardly pressed by the spring |9 into engagement with the toothed face of the ratchet bracket 4| projecting from said housing plate 1, a

wheel 2| so that whatever rotary movement is imparted to the pinion- M by the selected cents gear 9 is thus transmitted to said ratchet wheel 2|.

Said ratchet wheel is rigidly connected with the sleeve 22 which is axially movable on the shaft 23 which i'sjournaled in the end of said pinion l4 and in the bearing 24 in the housin wall plate 25. Said sleeve 22 is connected by the key 28 so as to turn said shaft 23, and the latter is cut to form the gear pinion 29 continually engaged with the gear 30 leading to any suitable registering mechanism indicating the value of the liquid dispensed. v

Said shaft |,'turned as above described one revolutionIor-each gallon of liquid dispensed,

also carries a series of nine cams which have respectively different numbers of notches corresponding with the different numbers of tenths of a cent from .1 to .9". For instance, the cam 3| has one notch 3|; the cam 32 has three notches 32'; and'the cam 33 has nine notches 33.

The lever 35 is fulcrumed on the screw shaft 36 which is journaled for rotation in said housing plates I and 25 but prevented from axial movement therein so that when said lever is lifted from the group of cams, it may be shifted to cooperative relation withlany selected one of the cams by turning said screw, conveniently by the milled knob 36'. Said lever 35 being in cooperative relation with the cam 32 representing three tenths of a cent,wil1 be successively raised from the three notches 32' in said cam by each rotation of said cam representing a gallon of liquid dispensed, and its function is to add three tenths of a cent to the computation movementl of saidratchet 2| which is effected by the whole cents price gear 9 aforesaid. Said lever 35 is in cooperative relation with the knocker plate 31 which is in fact a U-shaped lever having its bifurcations fulcrumed on said screw shaft 36 so that said plate 31 isuplifted by said lever 35 when the latter is shifted to cooperative relation with any-of the series of nine cams.

Said knocker plate 31 is continually in coopera tive relation with the short arm of the knocker lever 39 which is iulcrumed at 40 upon the as indicated inFlg. II. The long arm of said lever 39 is bifurcated as indicated in Fig. I, and

its free ends bear upon the thrust bearingring 42 for the balls 42'; which ring is free to turn and slide axially on said'sleeve 22 under stress of the knocker spring 44, to advance the value computer ratchet 2| one-tenth centwhenever said lever 35 rises from a cam notch. Said ratchet 2| has one hundred teeth and each upward movement of the knocker lever 39 advances that ratchet to the extent of one tooth. Such advance is effected by said advancing pawl because the teeth of said ratchet 2| are helically inclined, as

indicated in' Fig. I, and the edge of said pawl |'I engaging them similarly inclined, to such a head l6 turns said ratchet slightly more than the angular extent of one tooth, i. e., slightly more one-hundredth of a revolution of said ratchet wheel; the slight excess being merely to permit the keeper pawl 45 to drop into the next tooth on said ratchet to prevent accidental backward turning of the latter.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and II, I find it convenient to pivot said pawl 45 on the pin 46 which is stationary in said pawl carrier i6, and to provide the pawl 45 with the slide bearing 4'! which is loosely journaled on said pin 46 but engaged with the axially opposite faces of said ratchet wheel 2| so that as the latter is thrust axially by the movement of said knocker lever 39, said keeper pawl 45 is carried axially with the ratchet. As rotation of said cam shaft permits the lever 35 to drop into the next succeeding notch 32 in the cam 32, said ratchet wheel 2| is returned to the axial position shown in Fig. III and the knocker mechanism is restored to the position shown in Fig. III by said spring 44; such return movement being limited by the stop ring 48 secured at the open end 0! omitting the pawlslide bearing 41 and sub'stitut-' ing an axially longer, but axially immovable keep er pawl 45' for the axially movable keeper pawl 45 shown in those figures. In Fig. VII, the advancing pawl I l and the modified keeper pawl 45' are conveniently shown in closer relation upon the plane development of the toothed face of the ratchet 2| than they are in fact in the actual mechanism. It may be observed that whereas the advancin pawl is in close engagement with the tooth of the ratchet which it is to advance; the keeper pawl 45" is in slightly spaced relation with the tooth which would be engaged therewith if by any chance the ratchet were to be torsionally stressed in a reverse direction. However, it may be observed that there is no normal stress in that direction, the pressure of the spring 44 continual 1y frictionally engaging said sleeve 22 which carlies the ratchet wheel 2| so that relative turning movement of said ratchet wheel 2| and the pawl carrier head I6 is thus continually frictionally.

opposed.

Fig..VIII shows a modified form of my inven tion differing from that of Fig. VII only in the" substitution of the keeper pawl 45" for the keeper pawl 45' of Fig.,VII; said keeper pawl 45" having its edge which cooperates with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 2| parallel with the axis of m tation of said ratchet wheel so as to oppose only a corner of the tooth which said keeper .pawl would engage if the ratchet wheel were stressed to turn backward. Hbwever, in view of the-frictional stress of the spring 44 which holds the ratchet wheel 2| in any position to which it is advanced by the advancing pawl it is in fact unnecessary to provide any keeper pawl.

It may be observed that'in each of the several forms of my invention above described, a single pawl, to wit, the pawl I1, is utilized to advance the ratchet 2| under the actuation of both the whole cents computing mechanism and the fractional cents computing mechanism.

Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth. as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of myinvention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a mechanical movement embodying compound variable drive mechanisms; a ratchet wheel; and means for imparting to said ratchet wheel rotary movement, including a rotary pawl carrier and an advancing pawl on said carrier for engaging the teeth on said ratchet; and

means for preventing accidental rotary displacement of said ratchet wheel, including a. keeper pawl for engaging the teeth of said ratchet;

wherein both the ratchet wheel and the keeper pawl are mounted for axial movement relatively to the pawl carrier, and including a slide hearing supported by said pawl carrier, and engaging both said keeper pawl and ratchet. and means for effecting relative axial movement of said wheel and pawl. whereby axial movement of the ratchet is imparted to said bearing and keeper pawl.

2. Mechanism as in claim 1, wherein the teeth on the ratchet wheel are helically inclined with respect to the axis of its .rotation.

3. Mechanism as in claim 1, wherein the edge of the advancing pawl engaging the teeth on the ratchet. wheel is heiicaliy inclined with respect to the axis of said wheel.

4. Mechanism as in claim 1, wherein the teeth on the ratchet wheel are helically inclined with respect to the axis of its rotation and the edge of the advancing pawl is similarly inclined.

5. Mechanism as in claim 1, wherein the teeth on the ratchet wheel are helically inclined with respect to the axis of its rotation and the edges' of both the advancing pawl and keeper pawl engaging said teeth are similarly inclined.

6. In a mechanical movement embodying compound variable drive mechanisms; gear pinions of the respective mechanisms in coaxial relation;

means preventing relative axial movementof said gear pinions; a shaft extending in coaxial relation with both of said pinions and rigidly connected with one of them and rotatable independently of the other of said pinions; a ratchet wheel mounted to reciprocate axially on said shaft:

means preventing relative rotary movement of said shaft and ratchet wheel; a rotary pawl carrier rigidly connected with said pinion which is independent of said shaft; respective advancing and keeper pawls carried by. said pawl car-- rier for engagement with the teeth of said ratchet wheel; and means for reciprocating said ratchet wheel independently of said pinion with which -it is connected; whereby said ratchet wheel is 

